Crawley

Crawley's population grew in the decade leading up to the most recent census. Data from the census also show there were changes in religion, housing tenure and ethnicity.

The population passed 100,000

In the 10 years leading up to 2011, the population of Crawley increased by 6.9%, from just over 99,700 to 107,000.

The addition of just under 6,900 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Crawley was home to, on average, 17 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Average age stable in Crawley

Latest census data also show that the median age of Crawley remained 35 years in the decade to 2011.

This suburban area had a lower average age than the South East and remained somewhat younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of almost 1,800 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 70 and 79 years decreased by just under 1,000.

About 15% of people in Crawley are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Crawley by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of unemployment

The percentage of Crawley residents that were unemployed increased from 2.3% to 4.5% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over 6 in 10 (62%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 63% in 2001. The percentage of Crawley residents that were self-employed increased from 6.3% to 7.8%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased faster here than in any other local authority district across the South East. The improvement brought health in Crawley close to the national average 4.4% in England described their health as good in 2011).

The rate of unemployment in Crawley increased by 2.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Crawley, the South East and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Crawley

The percentage of Crawley residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 91% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

The percentage who reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities remained close to 2.6%, while the percentage of Crawley residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 6.3% to 6.0%.

The proportion of people who aren't limited by a long-term health problem or disability fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 91% in 2001 to 90% in 2011). Across England, the percentage remained close to 90%.

The proportion of people who aren't limited by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents that reported not being limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Crawley

The number of people in Crawley that described themselves as having no religion increased from just under 17,000 in 2001 to about 28,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 17% to 26% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across the South East (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Crawley that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 67,000 in 2001 to about 58,000 in 2011 (from 67% to 54%). The number of people who described themselves as Muslim increased from just over 4,400 to about 7,700 (from 4.4% to 7.2%).

Just over 6,800 people (6.9%) did not state their religion, similar to the amount in 2001 (which at the time represented 6.4%)

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Crawley increased by 9.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Crawley by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Crawley at a faster rate than in Reigate and Banstead (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Crawley).

In Crawley, the proportion of private renting increased from 6.1% in 2001 to 15% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Reigate and Banstead increased from 7.5% to 13%.

Across the South East, the share of privately rented homes increased from 10% to 16%.

The rate of social housing in Crawley increased from 23% to 24%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 68% to 59%.

Private renting in Crawley increased by 8.4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Crawley, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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